Where Is Your Focus

Where Is Your Focus

Where is your focus? I would bet it may not be where research tells us it should be!

I have to admit I’ve been guilty of this, and I would bet you have been too! Our focus may be on the wrong thing.

As golfers, it is our nature to focus on what our body is doing and what our hands and arms are doing and a whole lot more!

There is considerable research showing us that teachers and players tend to focus too much on the internal and not enough on the external. This research also tells us that external focus is hands down the best way to learn a skill.

“And since golf is a motor skill it makes total sense to shift our attention externally.”

This does not mean that we completely dismiss what else is going on before, during, and after the golf ball is struck. But if I asked you to toss me a ball, would you think about the movements necessary to toss it to me?

Maybe if you had never thrown, or tossed a ball you might not get it to me…or even close! But I would wager you still would not think about the movements!

So what exactly is internal and external focus?

Today’s Players and Instructors spend a lot of time on the Internal parts of the swing. And there certainly isn’t anything wrong with that.

What if you were asked to clear your mind of swing thoughts?

Not all of them, keep the ones that strike the ball.

See ball, see club, hit ball with club!

So you hit it decently but maybe not where you wanted to.

Now you add to the “See ball, see club, hit ball with club….at TARGET!

Check out this study that was done at UNLV by Dr. Gabriele Wulf where participants had no prior golf experience.

They were given some basics such as grip, stance, and posture as well as a demonstration.

Subsequently, two groups of participants were given slightly different attentional instructions.